The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-05-26
NIIIILIST HARTMAN.
THE RUSSIAN REFUGEE LIVING NEAR
THE NEW YORK PoSToFFIcE.

Leo Hartman, the Nihilist who was
charged with killing Alexander II, of ALI the
Russias on whose head the Russian govern
ment put great price, who was imprisoned
by France at the instance of Russia, who was
shielded by England and afterwards came
near being handed over to Russian vengeance
by the then secretary Of state, James g.
Blaine, who has been for years under the sur
veillance of Russian detectives, was found
few days ago by reporter in a rather small
room of an old fashioned house scarcely q
stones throw from The World office.
Seated in Hartmans workshop, surrounded
by evidences Of his genius, it seemed almost
incredible that the man telling the story Of his
country's wrongs could be he who was the
centr i figure of the civilized world few
years ago.
Americans, with the utmost liberty Of
press, speech and assemblage, and with free
ballot, cannot possibly conceive of the con-
dition Of Russia to-day" said Leo Hartman.
"They cannot imagine how the will of one
man, however distorted his mind, can be the
law, to be executed by every official, who
represents only that will. By the greatest
stretch Of rhe imagination Americans cannot
understand how it can be a capital offense to
criticise the words or acts of a car Yet it
is so in Russia, where men are sent to Siberia
for talking disrespectfully to policeman"
"That cannot be possible. You are exagger-
atingp exclaimed the reporter
ut is true, every word. have heard peo-
pie here denounce the police; but they do not
know what police tyranny means. In Russia
the municipalities do not appoint the police.
1t is the czar. They are his officers, and are
above the law, owing to no one an account
but him. These are the open police, and al
though they are tyrants and to be dreaded
they are not to be compared to the political
detectives and gems d'armes Of the ministry
of the interior.
"They were known at one time as the third
section of the imperial chancellory. The
name became such terror, even in that
country of terrorism, that the czar was
forced to pretend to abolish it. 1t still exists
as special department of the interior.
Those who compose it are independent of all
law. Without form of law they have power
to search any house and arrest all its inmates
ON suspicion. Those arrested never know on
what charge they are held They have no
trial, but are sent to Siberia, to prison or to
the scatfold, as may seem best to the depart
ment. There is no appeal possible, for no
court has any jurisdiction over POLITICAL
If person is sent to Siberia he is an admin
istrative exile, and can never return except
by consent of the third section As said il
is only necessary to be suspected in order to
be arrested, and if the name of another per-
son is found on the suspect he or she too must
suffer" -
but are there no courts in Russia9"
certainly there are, and a jury system,
too; but they are for criminals-murderers
thieves, etc. may say, in passing, that
there is no capital punishment in Russia ex-
cept for political offenses. In the territorial
prison ir which l spent nine months, in
Ekaterinodar, there were men who had COM
mltted from ten to thirty murders and high
way robberies. They were exiled, while a
landlord, owning thousands of acres Of land,
was hanged because he gave money to propa-
gate republicanism. That was before the
terrorist movement began. When a promi-
nent man is arrested, a nobleman or an Of
tcial for political ofFense and it cannot be-
hidden, he is taken before court. But what
courtl For such cases the judges are ap-
pointed by the ministry of Justice or war.
There is no jury. The accused is not per-
mitted to have a lawyer, except, sometimes.
an army officer is detailed for that duty bv
the ministry. | need not say that never
knew or heard of case in which a prisoner
before such a court ever regained his free
dom. To be even suspected is to be doomedl
For If the judge could not find the prisoner
guilty the third section exiled him anyway"
"These men of whom you speak, mean
the prisoners, are they all Nihihsts?"
mot by any means. AS told you man
has only to express an opinion contrary to
that of policeman, a detective or some Off
cial to secure his arrest and exile. What do
you think of its being an offense, punishable
with exile, to read any work written by Her
bert Spencer, Professor Huxley, Darwin,
John Stuart Mills 'Utilitarianism 'Emanci-
patton of Women, or Political Economy.
Robert Owens Moral Government or such
works. Those sent to Siberia are not Mill
lists or Terrorists. The Terrorists are always
executed or die in prison"
"Are the Nihilists very numerous now in
RussiaP'
More numerous than ever and more de-
tant than when l was in Russia. You
noticed, probably, that those arrested on the
last attempt to execute the car offered no re-
sistance nor did they try to hide their DUR
pose. But in Russia they are not called Mill
belong to the party of the Will of
the People, and the Extremists are known az
Active Terrorists. Not one of my coadiu-
tors is alive to-day; but as fast as they fall
their places are filled by Others In the party
there are representatives of every class in the
community and every grade of official, from
the priest and noble to the peasant Origin
ally the party believed merely in propagating
the necessity for a republican form Of
government, and but for the terrorism of the
cZar 1t would have remained so until to-day.
We ask that national assembly be called to
decide the form of government for Russia.
For agitating this question our people were
hanged or incarcerated in central prisons,
which was worse. These central prisons are
under the direct control of the central govern.
ment and distinct from territorial prisons.
The walls of the cells are a ward
wide, with vaulted ceilings The floors
are thickly matted, so are the corridors OUT
'ide. Light is admitted from a small win
dow in the roof. Food is supplied on a sliding
liable from the outside. A hole the size Of
\ dollar in the massive door of the cell per-
mits the jailer to see what the prisoner n
1oing, without himself being observed. One
never knows when that eye is on him. In
.ense silence reigns. The prisoner has moth
ng to occupy him but his thoughts. He
never sees the face of man. He is in a living
jomb, Is it any wonder that in about six
months mans mind gives way, or that in
'wo years he dies raving maniacl Such has
0een the fate of men and women imprisoned
because they believed in form of govern
nent such as you have in America
"Does that state of affairs exist nowF
sit is of to-day am speaking occasion
lily receive letters from my friends in Lon
lon, Paris or Geneva, who hear directly from
russia, and they tell me some of these things.
cannot communicate with any one in that